Davis Cup: France takes 2-0 lead over Spain

Gael Monfils defeated David Ferrer 7-6 6-2 4-6 5-7 6-4 and then Michael Llodra upset Fernando Verdasco 6-7 6-4 6-3 7-6 to give France a 2-0 lead over Spain in the Davis Cup quarterfinals.

Monfils and Llodra “won today because they took the initiative and made the Spaniards doubt,” France captain Guy Forget said. “We’re leading 2-0 today but we could lose the last three matches. So we’ll try to remain cautious. The goal is really to beat Spain. We have two points but it’s not over yet.”

Llodra and Julien Benneteau will take on Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez in doubles on Saturday.

Verdasco saved two break points to take the first-set tiebreaker 7-5. But Llodra increased the pressure in the second set by breaking serve in the opening game and that was enough for the Frenchman to tie the match at 1 set a piece.

“It’s uncomfortable to play on this kind of surface with one guy like him,” Verdasco said. “He’s a completely different player on this kind of surface. This surface is perfect for his game. For us, it’s not a good court because we play with spin. It doesn’t matter how much spin you give to the ball, the ball doesn’t bounce.”

In the third set Verdasco argued two calls with the umpire and lost his concentration. He was broken twice and the set was gone for the Spaniard.

“When you’re in a match like this, with this pressure, and the linesmen and the referee don’t see balls that you see clear, you get upset and mad,” Verdasco said about the disputed calls.

Llodra took a 2-0 lead in the fourth set but Verdasco brokeat 4-2, and then leveled at 4-4.

Into the tiebreaker, Llodra got a mini-break and then fired two straight aces to lead 4-1 before sealing the win when Verdasco’s service return sailed long.

“It’s fabulous,” Llodra said. “In my eyes, it’s much more important than a tournament. On that kind of surface, I knew that I could be a pain in the neck.”

In the first rubber, Monfils won four straight points to lead 6-2 in the tiebreaker of the opening set, which he won. The Frenchman then broke Ferrer twice in the second set.

But Ferrer broke Monfils for 2-1 in the third set and saved three break points at 5-4 and won it.

In the 4th set, Ferrer broke Monfils in the 11th game and leveled the match.

“I was a bit tense when I started the match,” Monfils said. “The first set was really tight. But I’m dominating, everything’s fine. I felt a bit drained in the third set. Then I lose the fourth and it’s a bit tougher mentally, but Guy Forget helped me a lot to remain calm.”

Monfils got back into the game and took a 2-0 lead in the decider. Monfils failed to serve out the match at 5-3 and was broken. But he quickly recovered to give France the lead.

“In the fifth, maybe I have bad luck in the important moments,” Ferrer commented.


Source AP/Yahoo/Davis Cup Website